Crutch.



0.1. SUTHERLAND.

CRUTCH.

APPLICATION min JUNE le, |911.

1,285,836. Puma NOV. 26, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY UNITE 'STATES TENT1-FF1CE.

cHARLEs J. surrrnnnann, ornnnurnfgivriivnnsora. z l j GRUT'CH. i f

Application filed JuneflG, 19,17.; .Serial No. 175,153.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. SUTHER- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tips for crutches or canes and the primary object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the user of the crutch or cane from slipping on frozen or other surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide anti-slipping means for crutches or canes, including a socket adapted to be attached to the lower end of the crutch or cane and having a movable spur arranged therein.l

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking the spur in a retracted position within the socket, said means also serving` to lock the spur in a projected or operative position.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part described and in part understood from the fol; lowing description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cane or crutch showing the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of my invention and,

Y Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

In the drawings, I have used the numeral 1 to represent a crutch or cane having its lower end reduced to form a stem 2. The stem 2 is adapted to be received in the upper end of a socket 3 and is securely fastened therein by screws 4 or other fastening means. The socket 3 is preferably tubular in shape and has its lower closed end 5 spaced a considerable distance from the end ofthe stem 2 and provided with a central aperture 6. Above the closed end 5 the wall of the socket is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 7 and on opposite sides of this slot the inner surface of the wall is serrated as indicated at 8.

I-Ioused in the socket 3 is a movable spur 9 which has its lower end pointed and adapted to be projected through the central opening formed in the closed end 5. The upper end of the spur is curved as at 10 and is connected or formed integral with a plate 11. The plate 11 is engaged with the .slotted wall of the socket and is equipped with a serrated face 12 which coperates with the serration 8 to hold the plate and spur stationary. A set screw is indicated at 1'3 and has its threaded shank 1i operating-in the slot 7 and engaged in a threaded opening formed in the plate 11. It will be seen that the plate and spur can be adjusted vertically in the socket 3 and are adapted to be held stationary in an adj usted position by means of the set screw 13. On the lower end of the socket 3 is received a rubber pad for, cushion 15 which is provided with a central opening alined with the opening 6 to permit the passage of the spur 9.

Under normal conditions, the rubber pad 15 affords a suficient grip for the crutch or cane and thus the plate 11 would be normally fastened at the top of the slot 7 holding the spur 9 ina raised or retracted position within the socket 3. However, when the cane or crutch is to be used on slippery surfaces, the set screw 13 is loosened and the plate 11 is moved down along the corrugated wall of the socket until the spur 9 is projected through the opening 6 and extends a sufhcient distance beyond the pad of cushion 15.y The set screw 13 is then tightened to bring the serrated face 12 firmly into engagement with the serrations 8 thus securely locking the spur in its proj ected position.

It is to be understood that I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of my invention and that the invention is susceptible to various changes in the construction, proportion and arrangement of the parts thereof and I reserve the right to make all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim A device as described, comprising a stick, a casing secured to the lower end of said stick and provided with a vertically extending side slot, serrations formed in the inner face of the easing on opposite sides of said slot, a spur mounted for vertical movement within the casing and pro-vided at its upper end with an` enlarged plate, serrations formed on one face of said plate and adapted to be engaged with the serrations formed in the casing to hold the spur in adjusted In testimony whereof l aix my signature osition7 :Lind a thresdelfl lfastening erew in presence of two Witnesses. iavin a slank exten ec t rougi sai slot and tli'eaoledly engaged with said plate, for CHARLES J' SUTHERLAND' 5 the purpose of drawing the serrated face of Witnesses:

the plate into locking engagement with the H. A. BERG, serrations on opposite sides of said slot. W. S. MICKS.

Copies o this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, ID. G. 

